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SpanishConjugationSubjunctive

Gustar (to please) · Subjunctive

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Gustar in the Spanish present subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo) is: yo guste, tú gustes, él/ella/usted guste, nosotros/as gustemos, vosotros/as gustéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes gusten. The present subjunctive of gustar appears in subordinate clauses triggered by doubt, emotion, or wish — 'espero que te guste' = 'I hope you like it'. Like every other tense of gustar, the guste/gusten forms cover most real-world use.

gustar conjugation in the Present Subjunctive (Presente de subjuntivo)
To LikeGustar
I like
yo guste
you like
tú gustes
he/she like
él/ella/usted guste
we like
nosotros/as gustemos
you like
vosotros/as gustéis
they like
ellos/ellas/ustedes gusten
Examples

Gustar (to please) in context

Sentences that use gustar in the subjunctive. Tap each to hear it.

Espero gustar a los nuevos vecinos.

I hope the new neighbors like me.

Quiero que me gustes tanto como ayer.

I want to like you as much as yesterday.

Espero que te guste el regalo.

I hope you like the gift.

Esperamos gustar al jurado del concurso.

We hope the contest jury likes us.

Dudo que gustéis a los críticos.

I doubt the critics will like you.

Espero que les gusten estas flores.

I hope they like these flowers.

Tip

Working with the subjunctive

The subjunctive isn't a tense — it's a mood. It signals that the speaker views the action as uncertain, desired, or evaluated rather than asserted as fact. Triggers come in four families: WEIRDO (Wishes, Emotion, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt, Ojalá) is the standard mnemonic. When you see "que" after one of these triggers, the verb that follows is almost always subjunctive. The irregular subjunctive stem comes from the yo form of the present indicative — learn "hago" and you know "haga" is the subjunctive stem.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate gustar in the present subjunctive?
The present subjunctive of gustar is: yo guste, tú gustes, él/ella/usted guste, nosotros/as gustemos, vosotros/as gustéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes gusten. Grammatically it follows the regular -ar subjunctive pattern. In real use, guste (singular subject) and gusten (plural subject) dominate.
When do I need to use the subjunctive of gustar?
Use it after triggers of doubt, emotion, will, or hope: 'Espero que te guste' (I hope you like it), 'Dudo que les gusten los regalos' (I doubt they'll like the gifts), 'Quiero que le guste el postre' (I want him/her to like the dessert). The 'me alegra que te guste' (I'm glad you like it) construction is a Spanish staple for receiving gifts or sharing recommendations.
How do I say 'I hope you like it' when giving a gift?
The standard formula is 'Espero que te guste' (I hope you like it — singular gift) or 'Espero que te gusten' (I hope you like them — plural gift). For more emphasis: 'Ojalá te guste' (I really hope you like it). The subjunctive is required after 'espero que' — the indicative '*espero que te gusta' is ungrammatical.
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More tenses of Gustar (To Please)

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Gustar (to please)
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